Bushy-crested Jay

Overview

The Cyanocorax melanocyaneus is a species of corvid found in Central America, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This adaptable bird thrives in humid forests but also successfully inhabits degraded environments such as coffee plantations and agricultural land.

Identification

• Size: 28 to 30 cm in length, with a long tail featuring graduated central feathers.
• Plumage: Head, neck, breast, and upper mantle are black; upper parts are dark blue with a green or violet sheen; underparts are plain greenish-blue with grey wing undersides and a blackish tail underside.
• Head & Bill: Possesses a stubble-like erectile crown on the head; beak is small and black.
• Eyes & Legs: Yellow irises and black legs; sexes appear alike.

Habitat

Native to humid forests, particularly those with pine and oak, as well as forest verges, glades, and scrub areas in Central America. The species occupies altitudes between 600 and 2,450 m and has adapted well to habitat degradation, becoming common in coffee plantations and around cropland.

Diet

Diet consists of invertebrates, seeds, nuts, and fruits. Foraging behaviour involves searching in the lower storey of trees and undergrowth, frequently descending to the ground to examine leaf litter.

Did you know?

This species exhibits remarkable cooperative breeding where multiple females share egg incubation and numerous helpers assist in raising the young; in one observed nest, eleven different adults and some juveniles fed the brood.